The present invention relates generally to information delivery systems and, particularly, to a novel, WWW/Internet-based, telecommunications network management service for customers of a telecommunications service provider.
Telecommunications service entities, e.g., MCI, ATandT, Sprint, and the like, presently provide for the presentation and dissemination of customer account and network data management information to their customers predominantly by enabling customers (clients) to directly dial-up, e.g., via a modem, to the entity""s application servers to access their account information, or, alternately, via dedicated communication lines, e.g., ISDN, T-1, etc., enabling account information requests to be initiated through their computer workstation running, for example, a Windows-based graphical user interface. The requests are processed by the entity""s application server""s, which retrieves the requested customer information from one or more databases, processes and formats the information for downloading to the client""s personal computer, or more primitively, a 3270 dumb terminal or a low-end workstation.
Telecommunications service providers that offer 800/8xx toll-free network service to their customers currently provide some type of user interaction to manage their 800/8xx network call routing plans. These plans may be pre-arranged and activated either by customer initiation, i.e., dial-up with a user access code and identification number, or, activated automatically at some prearranged time according to a prearranged schedule. For example, a customer may have a routing plan designed for xe2x80x9cnormalxe2x80x9d conditions and other plans for special conditions, e.g., weekend, holiday, promotions, etc. which may be automatically activated. Additional enhanced toll-free number management features are currently available to customers. For instance, customers can add, change or delete their enhanced routing trees or routing plans in near-real time for their toll-free numbers, for example, to respond to traffic conditions, emergencies etc.
The assignee of the present invention, MCI, currently provides an MCI ServiceView (xe2x80x9cMSVxe2x80x9d) product line that provides its business customers with Windows-based client-server applications including an 800-Network Manager (xe2x80x9c800NMxe2x80x9d) which is a PC-Windows based GUI to MCI""s Network Control System (xe2x80x9cNCSxe2x80x9d). Particularly, NCS is used to perform enhanced routing on MCI""s network for special service calls. The legacy order entry system for NCS is referred to as Network Capabilities System (xe2x80x9cNetCapxe2x80x9d). Orders for a customer""s routing features for that customer""s 800/8xx traffic are entered into NetCap which processes the order (edits, validates, logs) and submits orders to a Service Control Manager (xe2x80x9cSCMxe2x80x9d) which then formats and distributes orders to each of three redundant data access points (xe2x80x9cDAPSxe2x80x9d) which implements the plan orders at the network switches. Once an order is implemented on the DAPS, calls to the customer""s 800/8xx number are processed with the features specified in the order.
Particularly, NetCap is a mainframe MVS system that implements an on-line subsystem for accepting orders for toll-free and VNET routing plans. It also has a background-processing subsystem that takes these orders, processes them, stores them in a database, and feeds orders to SCM. Currently, there are three methods for accessing NetCap: a direct 3270 terminal connection for internal MCI users which provides access to 100 percent of NetCap""s functions; a PC-based 3270 terminal emulation program that utilizes 56 kbps dial-up access to a majority of NetCap functions; and, a PC-based Windows application entitled xe2x80x9c800NMxe2x80x9d, written in C++, for example, which enables customers to implement and configure routing plans for toll free and virtual networks (VNET) via the existing MCI Service View (MSV) infrastructure comprising a private network of routers and protocol converters that connect PC Windows applications to NetCap.
Additionally supported by MCI is an 800 Configuration Manager which is an 3270 mainframe based product having the following capabilities:
1) Managing Logical Termination (xe2x80x9cLtermxe2x80x9d) orders by providing capability to add, change, or delete Dialed Number Identification Service (xe2x80x9cDNISxe2x80x9d) and Enhanced DNIS values. These service features affect the termination of a Toll Free call by allowing customers to terminate two or more 8xx numbers to a single service group to receive pulsed digits and identify the specific 8xx number dialed. The 800 CM functions allow users to add, change, or delete DNIS digits for a termination already using DNIS.
2) Providing Network Call Redirect (xe2x80x9cNCRxe2x80x9d) functionality allowing customers to define, activate, and display NCR tables comprising instructions for calls needing termination overflow.
3) Displaying of toll-free network trigger points and active/inactive status.
4) Enabling the management of supplemental codes, e.g., ID Codes and Accounting Codes, that are additional numbers entered after a Toll Free number is dialed.
5) Providing Call blocking service at the following levels: Geographic, 8xx, Enterprise, Corp Id, and ANI (8xx, SAC, Freephone).
6) Providing Enhanced Voice Services (xe2x80x9cEVSxe2x80x9d) including automated voice response, voice processing, and call routing functionality. The call processing behind EVS is Enhanced Call Routing (ECR) which is supported by 800 CM to control routing plans on the MRS/ECR platform. The current ECR environment uses xe2x80x98hiddenxe2x80x99 800 numbers to build and control the routing after it leaves the platform.
7) Providing Intelligent Call Routing (xe2x80x9cICRxe2x80x9d) features through MCI""s NetCap order entry system which allows customers to control the routing of their incoming Toll Free traffic on a call by call basis. Using rules defined by the customer, changes in Toll Free traffic routing are performed in real time based on changes in status at customer terminations. Particularly, NetCap flags the Corporate ID as an ICR account; creates and maintains trigger points; and creates and maintains destination labels.
Thus, for a special service number (i.e., 800/8xx number), NetCap functions enable a customer to define up to 100 routing plans, only one of which is active at any time. Multiple routing plans are used by NetCap""s alternate routing feature: a customer can change routing plans on-the-fly with a NetCap xe2x80x9cIMPLxe2x80x9d order. A plan can specify routing rules (where to route a call) that are based on point of call origination, day of week, time of day, percent allocation of traffic, and other features. Features are specified with a NetCap xe2x80x9cFEATxe2x80x9d order. A customer can also submit a NetCap xe2x80x9cQUIKxe2x80x9d order to temporarily change the percent allocation of traffic for a number. This is used, for example, in the case of a disaster at a certain destination. NetCap may also be used to configure terminations; configuration includes specification of outpulsed digits, whether termination is domestic or international (determines signaling), whether termination is a Dedicated Access Line or a shared Feature Group (determines signaling), and overflow routing.
Currently, the IMPL, FEAT, and QUIK orders are provided by the MSV 800NM platform.
While the current 800NM and tollfree network management features in the current MSV platform are sufficient for those with existing access, a need exists to provide a newer, faster platform with new toll free network management capabilities for customers through the public Internet.
Moreover, a need exists to integrate the existing tollfree network management client-server application in a Web-based platform which provides expedient comprehensive and more secure data access and reporting services to customers from any Web browser on any computer workstation anywhere in the world.
The present invention is directed to a novel toll-free network management tool for a Web-based (Internet and Intranet) client-server application that enables customers to define their own 800/8xx toll free number routing plans via the Web/Internet. The toll-free network management tool enables customers to change and modify their existing 800/8xx toll free number routing plans, e.g., specifying routing rules for directing 800/8xx toll free calls along different routes and terminations based on pre-determined criteria, or, temporarily change the percent allocation of traffic for a particular 800/8xx toll free number based on certain criteria. The client server application is a Web-based, object-oriented application that implements a Remote Method Invocation-like protocol providing customers with toll-free network management features including: stacking order capability, e.g., to temporarily change the routing of toll free traffic; enabling enhanced order queries; enabling the automatic notification of order completion or rejection; and providing enhanced inventory reporting.
According to the principles of the invention there is provided a toll-free network management tool that enables customers of telecommunications network providers to modify the configuration of their toll-free networks via a Web/Internet-based graphical user interface. The tool provides customers Web/Internet access to toll-free call routing plans and associated routing plan details via a secure Web/Internet-based connection, and additionally provides a customer with the ability to specify implementation of a specific call routing plan for a toll-free number at a predetermined time, and the ability to re-configure an existing call routing plan. Additionally, the tool enables a roll-back of a particular call-routing plan or call plan detail to a prior configuration at a user-specified time.